Parking Solutions at Los Angeles International Airport

The Airports Council International ranked the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as the sixth biggest airport in the world in 2008 in terms of passengers served (LAX served a total of 59,497,539 passengers that year). As with most major airports, parking at LAX can be nightmarish if you don't come prepared. Luckily, there are a lot of good options. Here are some of the best parking solutions at LAX.

Economy Parking Lots The Central Terminal Parking at LAX is the most convenient in terms of distance from the central terminals. But it can be expensive, especially if you're parking for more than a couple of hours, not to mention the fact that finding a spot at the lots can be a bit of a hassle. A good alternative is the Economy Parking Lots C and B. Parking in either of them is free for the first 2 hours, and even though they're further away from the terminals, a free airport shuttle takes you to and from the terminals in a matter of minutes. The maximum charge limit for Lot C is $12 per 24-hour period, and for Lot B it's $10 per 24-hour period.

Off-site Parking Facilities Off-site parking facilities offer a good alternative to on-site airport parking. Many of these off-site lots are located within 2 miles of the airport and provide free shuttle services directly to the terminals from your car and back. Some popular off-site LAX parking facilities include the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Parking structure (an indoor facility), Fox LAX Auto Park and the LAX Park facility. There are many places for cheap LAX parking, prices can be as low as $7.95 per day.

Passenger drop offIf you want to avoid the hassle of parking and are simply looking to drop off a passenger at the terminals quickly, you can use the passenger drop off zone at terminal curbsides. You might have to maneuver through a bit of terminal traffic especially if you're going to the airport on a busy day, but it is free and fairly easy.

Cell Phone Waiting Lot Another good short term parking option is the cell phone waiting lot. It's free and for people who want to simply pick up a passenger without using paid airport parking. Just wait at the cell phone lot and have your passenger call you when they arrive for curbside pickup.